October

Surprisingly we seem to still have neighbors that like us, no "special" phone calls or people bringing back stray kids to me. I thought we were doing pretty good...... until Brooks decided to clean out our toilet on our front lawn....for everyone to see.

Hopefully this isn't a deal-breaker in our relationship with neighbors..... because nothing says ghetto like a toilet.

WHY was he cleaning the toilet you ask?

Oh, nothing surprising, but this little numb-nut just LOVES to throw things in it. This time? A toothbrush that liked to collect everything on it.

My little babies turned 5 months in October.

And they SERIOUSLY are the best.

Here is Wynn cheezin' at the camera. I love these dresses Tia Adriana bought them.

My FAVORITE THING is to just hold them both and snuggle at the same time!I like to have their warm heads up by my cheeks so I can smell them and snuggle. I feel like pretty soon I won't be able to hold them both at the same time, so I eat up every chance I get.

Aleeya snapped a pic of me climbing out of the Yeti with them....and Iris.

My friend from Tennessee was traveling through St. Louis and so we met up at the zoo. I seriously love Bekah. We haven't seen each other in 13 years but thanks to cyberland we've stayed connected.

AND she and your 12 year old provided extra arms for me. Bekah had 6 kids with her, yet still helped me with my four.

It was actually my first public outing with the youngest four w/o an older sibling with me or anything. So her help was super appreciated.

My cute Kellyn and Everly in the "fish tunnel"

She even got her asleep. #magicfriend

It DID turn ugly at the very end where I threw all four kids in the stroller while it was sprinkling rain with three of them crying and sprinted for the exit. No biggie, right?

Royce started kindergarten this year, so why not have our first school picture ever as awesome as this one. BWHAHAHA #buttonedtothetop

Speaking of said kindergartener. We have MAJOR issues with shoes. He HATES socks, but if he doesn't wear them his shoes/feet get all stinky. Then I bought bigger shoes so his socks wouldn't get bunched up and the shoes aren't broken in yet and don't bend when he walks which APPARENTLY really bothers him. Sometimes I just choose not to fight any shoe battle.....like the day I sent him to school in sandals WITH socks. #hisface #sandalstoosmall

"Take a picture of my pumpkin-snowman"

In October the twins really started using their hands to their advantage. It's so funny when one of them isn't done with their bottle yet and the other sees it. Wynn was trying to finish her milk and Iley kept trying to take it.

Then I gave it to Iley and Wynn tried taking it back.

The bottle was finished and I put it away. Iley still wanted to suck on something I guess so she grabs Wynn's hand (Wynn's face kills me)

..... and started sucking on it. hahaha

Emerson decided to run for school council. They pick 5 kids with the most votes. Grades 3-5th can vote. I wasn't surprised in the LEAST when he said he was going to run. No matter we just moved here and new to the school.

VOTE FOR EMERSON..... he is "DAB"ulous

(his posters he made)

Nothing quite as good as the walking billboard of a poster in his 3rd grade sister with the words "Vote Emerson" on her shirt. Quite the outfit, I know. Probably the best ever. #UGHthosefakeglasses !!!!

He didn't win...and I thought it would be so disappointed, but he took it so well. I love that confidant adventurous kid.

The middle school has intramurals here. The kids stay after twice a week, the bus brings them home and it's free. So of course I told Camden he could sign up for wrestling. He said he really wanted to sign up "so I could beat Bronson". Quite the motivation. Well, after 6 weeks of practices they have one tournament and then it's done.

Here's Camden at his tournament. He wouldn't take off his shirt at first being a little self-conscious in the singlet.😂  #chickenlegs

"Don't you DARE take a picture of me MOM!!!!" #toolate 

The middle school team. He's in the middle row on the right.

When you have a starvation-looking-skinny child, not all sports are ideal. However in wrestling you only "rassle" those in your weight class. Camden wrestles people who are usually shorter than he is (his bones are hallow, I kid you not) but they weigh the same. It's actually to Camden's advantage. Plus, he's SO quick and he's got a lot of "pee-and-vinegar" (as they say) in him to make him want to win. Tied score here 2-2

This kid was beating Camden at first and then Camden did a bunch of cool exit things that gave him points.

MY adrenaline was going like crazy. And I have no idea what was coming out of my mouth while I was cheering. It's actually REALLY fun to watch and I thought I would HATE HATE seeing my kid wrestling someone.

Yes, I realize wrestling pictures aren't always the most flattering.

He ended up taking 1st in his weight class after beating all his opponents. That's right. 

That. IS. RIGHT.

Since he liked it so much he is now signed up in a legit league along with Emerson. We'll see how this goes. First tournament next weekend.

HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

My Minnie-mouses........ 

The neighborhood here was AWESOME to trick-or-treat in. Bronson went with his friends so I didn't get him in his Broncos Football player stuff, but here is everyone else. ...... please tell me Aleeya isn't doing a kissy-face on purpose. #heavenhelpme 

They got a haul!!!!!

Now the dividing and bargaining begins!

Conference Weekend

The first weekend in October (and April) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints always has something called General Conference......where we listen to our prophet, apostles and other church leaders speak to us. One of the broadcasts is for the men and young men who hold the Priesthood. 

THIS year Camden was old enough to attend. Beforehand Brooks always goes out to dinner and they've found their new "traditional" place to go before Priesthood Session..... Tucano's. 

A Brazilian restaurant that brings out meat after meat after meat. The boys thought it was the neatest thing and are already excited for April to come around.

During the other four sessions (2 hours each) the whole family watches.

I think this was when Elder Cook was "bare"-ing his testimony?........ or was this when he "cracked" a joke........

My sweet girlies getting their food. Their bored expressions crack me up.

Between the Saturday sessions the kids took Brooks' phone outside (while they were blowing leaves to make a huge pile) and his phone came back with these lovely pictures. haha.

(Royce coming up from behind.)

I love their smiles, Conference........ and I love fall.

Month o' Birthdays

October is a busy month of birthdays for us.....starting with Kellyn's on the 5th of October.

She UN-surprisingly picked a Minnie piñata.....again. But this time she wanted a red bow.

And she wanted her hair like Minnie's too.....just "like Aunt Wa does it". Sheesh, THANKS Wa. ;)

4 years old.....packed with more animation than any other child I've seen!

I pulled a genius move with her party this year. I didn't want to have all the older kids there ruining the party-vibe and the excitement of it all. PLUS, Kellyn keeps asking for me to invite her friends over for a playdate which I haven't done since I've had the babies. SOOOOOO, I decided just to invite two friends over for 3 hours during the school day...playdate style and call it her birthday.

And since I didn't make the cupcakes beforehand, it was perfect to tell them that one of the party games was to MAKE the cupcakes and then decorate them together. Here they are each cracking their own egg into the cupcake mix.

They all loved it so much.....AND it took up a lot of time. Total score.

She wanted to eat popcorn and strawberries with them too. Got it. I can do that.

Then it was time for the piñata....that didn't have a string attached to it. Which means Minnie was placed on the driveway and they went at it smashing her in the face.....and I did get pictures.... boy did I EVER!!!! They just happened to have a naked Everly in. every. one. So there goes that. I can't post any, but here is the proof in all it's sucker glory.

Brooks' birthday was the 13th...... 39 years old. How did THAT happen?! He got his cheesecake for dinner and a new Cardinals hoodie. Other than that, he didn't want anything else nor did we take any pictures..... his request. (we are so different)

Aleeya turned 9 on the 17th.

Our family celebrated her with an orange cake (her favorite color) with Pokemon minis on it. 

She was clearly pleased.

Junkbox action and she wanted those adult-very detailed coloring books with a bunch of coloring pencils.

That week she was the spotlight kid at school too. Her poster cracked me up...... look in the "things I don't like" part for a group of dots..... apparently those are lice. And she doesn't like them. :)

Her wish was that she could hold the babies whenever she wants. (so sweet) And when she grows up she wants to be "a Mom".....and that's obviously how moms look. 

Her teacher told me when she presented it to the class one boy (who it's a GOOD thing I don't know who he is!!!!) said, "Why would you want to be THAT? You don't do any work!" And she responded, "Yes, I would, I would take care of all of my own babies." And then she said she wanted to be like me.  #blessherheart

Seriously people, when her teacher told me that I just melted!!!! It's no secret Aleeya has the biggest heart, but also the biggest mood swings now, and sometimes I don't deal with them how I pictured I would. Like I said, BLESS HER HEART FOR SEEING PAST ALL MY FLAWS!

Her birthday party was that weekend. She wanted to go to a park with her friends, have pizza, mint chocolate cupcakes with Oreos on top and have a soccer ball piñata.

We went to our favorite park here. She here is Aleeya with her friends on the cool merry-go-round. If you look waaaay back you can see a wedding going on. Yes, you read that right, someone was getting married in a city park. The girls started chanting, "Kiss her kiss her kiss her."

We had a wedding there, her birthday party and a baptism. Well sort of. There's a creek there and one of the girls had a little slip up and Emerson grabbed her out. So I brought her home in Aleeya's clothes, with a bag of her wet ones. I sure know how to make an impression with parents to her new friends......

And me driving with all the girls.....and Emerson......it got reeeeeeeally.....um.....loud? Here's a little taste of it.  (the girl in the second bench wrapped in a blanket, wet, is the newly "baptized" girl)

drive home

The piñata was the most embarrassing thing ever. I procrastinated because I was busy with Halloween stuff and never got it fully dry before I painted it and popped the balloon inside. It immediately started to dent. And I didn't get the pattern right with the paint and I couldn't believe what a disaster it was. But she was pleased anyway. Phew. 

It was a big and eventful day....and it actually was a lot of fun. Well, unless you were the one to fall in the water.....or the one that had to walk her up to her doorstep and parents after......but besides THAT, it was great.